I'm happy I didn't win Ballon d'Or — Yamal makes shocking admission

Spain and Barcelona talisman Lamine Yamal has displayed extraordinary maturity by admitting he is grateful he did not win the Ballon d'Or last year, conceding that he was simply not ready for football's ultimate individual honour. 

The 18-year-old winger, who finished as the runner-up for the prestigious prize after being beaten by his friend and former Barcelona teammate Ousmane Dembélé, confessed that he initially expected to take home the trophy before realising the defeat was a blessing in disguise.

"Honestly, if I’m being sincere, I thought I was going to win it that day because of many things that happened. Looking back, I think it was very good for me that Dembélé won it," Yamal revealed. 

"Beyond helping me grow personally, I don’t think it was the right time for me to win it because I was still a kid and probably wouldn’t have appreciated what it really means to win a Ballon d’Or. Let’s see if this year is mine.” 

Yamal is also a top candidate for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, especially as he prepares to lead tournament favourites Spain into the FIFA World Cup across North America this summer.

Narrowly missing out on the Ballon d'Or prevented Yamal from shattering records as the youngest winner in football history at just 17, a historic feat he can still achieve if he captures the award this year at age 18, comfortably eclipsing Ronaldo Nazário’s iconic 1997 record set at 21 years old. 

The precocious teenager, who largely influenced bookmakers' odds to position La Roja as the frontrunners for the title, has already proven he can handle the highest stakes after supercharging Spain's triumphant run for the Euro 2024 trophy. 

Having just completed an individually and collectively brilliant domestic campaign where he claimed the 2025/26 LALIGA Player of the Season award and fired Barcelona to consecutive La Liga titles, Yamal’s chances are as good as last year.